Never
by Mr Obscenity
Summary: The zero boys' encounter with sake. Enough said.


"I have never…" The green haired boy paused for a moment, searching for the right words, "eaten shiokara."

Natsuo made a gagging sound. "Lucky for me I won't have to drink on that one. I have never… stayed up an entire night."

"What? You've never stayed up late, Natsuo?" Yoji stole a glance at the clock on the wall. It was nearly two in the morning.

"Late, but not until morning. Sometime I want to stay up an entire night, just to watch the sun rise." The boy's jade eyes stared at the ceiling; no, not at the ceiling, more like into the ceiling and through to whatever thoughts he had stored up there.

Yoji waved his hands in front of his partner's face. "Natsuo? Hello? Where are you in there?"

Natsuo giggled. "Shut up. I'm here."

Yoji reached over and smoothed a stray curl on his partner's head back into place. "Are you? Because my Natsuo wouldn't say corny, sentimental things like that. The Natsuo I know prefers the night to the day." A rye grin spread itself across the green-haired boy's face as his arm snaked across the floor towards the bottle at Natsuo's feet. "I know! You've just had too much to drink!" Yoji's hand snatched the bottle and brought it to his lips instead. "Don't worry Natsuo, I won't let another drop contaminate your judgement." He laughed between gulps. "I'll be responsible and drink it for you." Natsuo managed to snatch it back, but not before half his bottle was empty.

The two boys sat there for a while, across from each other on the floor, laughing.

"Have you?"

Yoji was still chortling. "Have I what?"

"Ever stayed awake until the sun came up?"

Yoji rolled his eyes. "Dozens of times."

"Then drink."

Yoji laughed. "Who am I to argue?" The boy brought the bottle to his lips all too obediently.

Natsuo wasn't one to wait. "You're turn."

"I have never…" Yoji shook the bottle about then brought the cold, hard surface up against his eye and stared in. Little cream colored bubbles formed a thin layer of foam above the ocean of brown liquid below it. They looked so small and delicate there, clustered together in one big group, almost scared. Yoji silently wondered what the big brown ocean had done to the bubbles to make them so frightened. He also wondered why in the world he had never noticed these suddenly obvious things before in his life. Yoji shrugged his shoulders before continuing, "I have never… been drunk before."

Natsuo practically fell over in laughter.

Yoji raised a quizical eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

Natsuo spoke between giggles. "Well, you are now."

"What the hell, Natsuo?! I am totally soub- soubi-" Yoji couldn't help but laugh. "Sober."

They both sat there for a while laughing. Something was suddenly very funny, although neither of them was exactly sure what.

Yoji pointed an unsteady finger at his friend. "Well, so are you."

Natsuo merely smiled. "Then I guess we'll just both have to take a drink."

This was followed by yet another round of unexplained laughter.

Yoji folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. A smile, weightless and warm, wrapped itself around his face. "Your turn."

"I have never…" Natsuo wasn't sure why but he was suddenly very warm. It was as if the summer had crept up on him and was taking an extended vacation on his chest. Before he knew it, he had taken off his shirt. "I have never…" Natsuo took a deep breath; he couldn't remember the last time he had felt this free. Probably the day he had made his first kill. There was something strangely exhilarating, something terribly freeing about taking something that wasn't yours, especially a life. Natsuo giggled at the memory. "I have never planted a garden."

Yoji laughed. "Neither have I." He jerked open his eyes and brought his body closer to Natsuo's. The boy's eyes were wide with excitement and mere inches away from his partner's. Natsuo could smell the sake on his breath, as he continued to spout out words. "But listen. One day we will. I promise. One day we'll plant a garden- not just any garden- the biggest garden in the whole world." If it was possible the green-haired boy's eyes grew even wider at the thought. "We'll have beans. And mushrooms. And watermelon. And peaches." Then suddenly his tone dropped, low and sweet, as he wrapped a strand of his partner's hair around his finger. "You know, Natsuo, you remind me of a peach."

Natsuo couldn't help but laugh. "A peach, Yoji?"

"Don't laugh, Natsuo. This is very serious." A stern look crossed the green-haired boy's face as he took another swig out of his bottle. "You're a peach because you're cute." Yoji looked his partner in the eye. "And soft." Yoji ran his fingers along his partner's bare side. "And sexy." Yoji brought his face even closer to Natsuo's. Their lips were nearly touching now. The smell of the alchohol on Yoji's breath grew stronger to Natsuo, and appealing, so very appealing. He wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in his partner's arms.

"And orange."

"What?!" Natsuo broke free of Yoji's grasp.

The smile that covered Yoji's face extended all the way to his fluttering eyes. "Peaches are orange, Natsuo." He reminded.

"They are." Natsuo agreed. He couldn't help but notice how wise Yoji was tonight.

Both the boys fell to the floor in another sudden fit of laughter. A moment later the room was silent again.

Yoji rolled onto his side. "Do you ever wonder…"

Natsuo cut him off. "Yes."

Yoji continued regardless. "Do you ever wonder if the color orange gets jealous?"

"No. He's happy."

"Who?"

"Orange."

"No he's not. He has to share his name with the fruit. No other color has to share his name with a fruit. You don't see bananas being called yellow, or apples being called…"

Natsuo waited for him to continue, but he didn't. And there was no need for him to. Everything was suddenly as plain as day. Except for one thing.

"But Yoji."

"Yeah?"

"We share the same name."

Yoji lay there for a moment, quiet. Then he brought himself closer to his partner and let his arms wrap themselves around him. "We do."

Natsuo's arms entwined themselves around Yoji as well and they lay there for what seemed to be a long time, silent. To Yoji, Natsuo's heartbeat had never sounded so loud. It was drumming away there in his chest, beat by steady beat. He wouldn't be surprised if it was throwing its own concert. And he had front row seats. He smiled at the thought.

Natsuo's voice interrupted his train of thought. "Yoji."

"Natsuo."

"It's your turn."

"I have never…" Yoji lay there, breathing in the scent of the other boy. It was so familiar… so sweet… like peaches. "I have never..." Yoji shrugged his shoulders. "I have never been in love."

The two boys' eyes settled on each other's for a moment, and the room became the most silent it had been all night. The red-haired boy lowered his eyes as he drew himself closer to his partner. Natsuo's whispered words seemed to fill the room as he spoke them, in a place not even air would stir for fear of disturbing such fragile words.

"Me neither."

Yoji couldn't have been sure, but for a moment he could've sworn he'd heard a sigh. _Stupid wind. _Yoji pulled his arms tighter around his partner.

Natsuo cast a sideways glance at the two drinks that remained on the floor, untouched.

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Woo.

You see that button at the bottom of the page?

The one that says review?

Yeah, that one.

Push it.

Really.

I think it's magic.

Oh and ps- shiokara is pickled squid intestines.

Yummm.

Oh and pps- don't steal my stories and please inform me if you find anyone that has. Because the other day I came across a story called "Zero Doesn't Mean Nihil" which is actually a horribly done copycat of my story "Fairness for Dummies". Feel free to look both of them up and see for yourself that mine is older. It's really pretty sad to me that someone would not only steal my words, but then not even bother to switch up some of the exact lines and phrases I used. Pretty sad.

Well, anyway,

Thanks for reading.

Please don't copy.

Lots of love to my readers.

Lots of hate to the little miniature satan that stole my story.

Hahaa.

The end.


End file.
